Bang.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
As I closed the door and headed down to the first floor, clan members swarmed around me from all directions. Their tactical maneuver was reminiscent of the ancient “Ten-Sided Ambush” strategy—within moments, I was completely surrounded. Impressive.
“So, what about Mar?”
“What happened? And the fairy—what did she say?”
They’d captured a prisoner and were ready to interrogate. I had no choice but to cooperate honestly.
“She’s still in the room.”
“So it’s just the two of you?”
“She said she wanted to talk with me alone.”
“Oh my. You left the kid alone? What if she gets kidnapped and runs off?”
I didn’t think that would happen, but Ko Yeon-ju was fuming, jumping up and down in anger. For some reason, another woman nearby was also unusually anxious, even biting her nails.
“What if she’s brainwashed into calling her ‘Mom’ or something…?”
“Then we’ll just have to suck our thumbs again, huh?”
Wait, wasn’t she worried about kidnapping?
I sighed, shook my head, and finally managed to break through the layers of encirclement to take a seat.
And then—
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
I buried my face in my hands.
Why? Why is this happening? What did I do wrong?
I desperately wanted to rest and sort things out calmly on my own, but how could I ignore a pack of hungry wolves staring at their prey? In the end, I spent a good while recounting every detail of my conversation with Nymue.
“So even if we use that ‘thorned coffin,’ we can’t guarantee Mar’s condition?”
“Seems so. Those who know understand—Mar is unique, a very special being. Even the fairy can’t define her easily.”
Nymue had said as much. No one could predict what would happen to Mar. The only certainty was that the thorned coffin could solve the immediate problem faced upon this awakening: it would control and restore the chaotic ‘core’ to normal.
But beyond that, no one knew how absorbing and managing a new core would affect Mar, or how she might change as a result.
This wasn’t Nymue’s fault. Even the third eye’s vision marked her as “the first ever to appear in history…”
At that moment, Kim Han-byul, who had been quietly observing, spoke cautiously.
“Then… can’t we just not do it?”
“Han-byul…”
“I know. The current state isn’t exactly safe either. But… Mar is still a child.”
“……”
“It’s just too harsh. She’s growing fast, but in years, she’s still a newborn.”
“Hmm…”
I understood her concern. She probably meant to postpone the awakening and look for a safer alternative. If maintaining the status quo guaranteed safety for a while, that would make sense.
But Mar was like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment. It was an unavoidable situation—a choice that had to be made.
…Right. The choice wasn’t mine to make, nor anyone else’s. It could be, but it shouldn’t be. I wanted Mar to think for herself and decide, so I stepped aside.
“Let’s just wait for now…”
For the time being, waiting was all we could do.
When I slowly opened my eyes, the bright sunlight filled my vision.
“Is it morning already?”
Stretching, I sat up and saw the neatly made bed. Since Im Hanna usually used it, the sheets still carried the warm, comforting scent of fresh milk.
The two fairies must have talked late into the night, so they’d left the office free. It was considerate, since the three of us couldn’t sleep together.
Not that I minded—I’d finally fallen asleep after nursing from Im Hanna’s breast for the first time in a while. But had they already left? I wished they’d woken me and helped me wash up.
On my way downstairs after washing, a servant told me the two fairies were already awake. They’d finished washing and eating, and were now playing in the garden, waiting for me. That meant Mar had made her decision. My heart started to beat faster.
When I stepped into the garden, several clan members were already there. Not as many as yesterday, but everyone was quietly watching someone.
Mar was near the waterway, giggling with two spirit beasts, while Nymue sat nearby, wearing a gentle smile. Clearing my throat as I approached, they both perked up and turned toward me, quickly standing.
“Good morning. You must feel a bit out of place.”
“Not at all. Thanks to your thoughtfulness, I had a comfortable time. Thank you sincerely, Kim Su-hyun.”
The fairy bowed politely, hand over her chest—a graceful, refined gesture. She spoke so beautifully.
“You can just call me Su-hyun.”
“Huh?”
“Kim Su-hyun sounds a bit formal for me.”
“Oh… okay, Su-hyun then.”
Nymue shyly tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded softly. Seeing her like that, I thought she’d make a wonderful mother for Mar—kind and warm, no matter what I did. No, that’s not the point.
Hmm… why does the back of my head feel prickly? To avoid misunderstandings, I decided to get straight to the point.
“I heard you were waiting for me.”
“Yes, we were.”
“Have you finished talking?”
“Yes. Mar…”
Just then—
“Daddy!”
Right as I was about to speak, someone shouted cutely and dashed forward. I didn’t even need to see to know who it was.
“Hey, did you sleep well?” I was about to say, when—
“I want to do it!”
My mouth snapped shut. I’d expected a jab, but it felt like an uppercut.
“Me. I want to awaken.”
“…Huh?”
“I want to use the thorned coffin. I want to.”
“Mar?”
Something felt premature. If she was just excited, I’d stop her immediately. Glancing sideways, Nymue calmly shook her head.
“I never pressured or coaxed her. I told her the truth as it is, and Mar made the choice herself.”
“Daddy, I heard everything. But I still want to do it.”
Mar quickly added, as if to prove she wasn’t lying. I fell silent for a moment, then spoke quietly.
“You really want to do this, knowing everything?”
“Yes!”
She nodded vigorously.
Once the words got stuck, they didn’t come out easily. Why? How? The questions rose in my throat but just circled around. Maybe sensing this, Mar looked down at the ground and lightly scratched the earth with her foot.
“I’ve been thinking about it.”
“Thinking?”
“Yes. I want to… I want to be able to help you, Daddy.”
She ended with a stronger voice.
In other words, she wanted to awaken because she wanted to be of help to me.
“Mar, that’s…”
Of course, it was a brave and admirable thought. If she succeeded, she could immediately become a powerful asset. That much was undeniable.
…but I wanted to say something else. Something was off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but this didn’t feel right.
“That’s a bit…”
At that moment, I caught sight of the clan members in the distance. Ko Yeon-ju shook her head with a bitter expression. Not just her—almost everyone looked the same.
Suddenly, I understood why they’d stepped back. They probably shared my thoughts. At least, they didn’t want Mar to participate.
Still, the reason they stepped back was—
“…No?”
Her sulky voice snapped me back to reality.
“……”
Still, they must have stepped back because Mar’s resolve was that strong.
Hwa-jeong had said it: the fairy queen’s actions always had a reason. Mar wanted to awaken. More than ever, she wanted it. And above all, she had thought it through and made her own decision. That alone left no room for me to interfere.
The moment I thought that, the chaos in my mind cleared completely.
“Alright.”
I gave my permission, and Mar’s eyes widened.
“If that’s how you feel, I’ll respect it.”
“Daddy!”
“But you’re scared, right?”
“…A little.”
Mar smiled faintly.
“Don’t worry. If anything goes wrong, I’ll definitely save you.”
It was a bit embarrassing, but I had to say it. Mar twisted her body shyly, then suddenly, cheers erupted from somewhere—words of encouragement, wishes for success, and other clichés, but heartfelt nonetheless.
Amid the cheers for Mar, Nymue’s eyes glistened as she smiled pure and bright.
“Thank you, Su-hyun. No, thank you so much.”
“You seem almost overwhelmed with gratitude.”
“I’m just happy. After talking yesterday, I realized how much kindness Mar has received all this time…”
“……”
Unable to hold back, Nymue’s eyes welled up. It was a touching scene, though a little awkward. I wondered how much the queen must mean to her to provoke such a reaction. If the chief fairy was like this, how would the others be?
But curiosity would have to wait.
“How long will the awakening take?”
“It depends on the situation, but it doesn’t take long. The fastest person took the crown the moment they put on the thorned coffin, and even the slowest didn’t take more than five minutes. …But Mar…”
“So you can’t guarantee it.”
“…Yes.”
I suppose it’s similar to the user going through a rite of passage to claim ownership of the equipment.
Anyway, that’s fine.
The cheers gradually began to die down. After exchanging a glance with Mar, I slowly stepped back. By the time I reached where the clan members were gathered, the surroundings had fallen completely silent.
Nimue then looked up at the sky once more, just like yesterday, and gently lifted the thorned coffin with both hands. She paused for a moment to steady her breath, then took careful, deliberate steps forward.
Her eyes, fixed solely on Mar, trembled quietly but held an unshakable solemnity. It was as if she had lived her entire life for this moment—an atmosphere of profound reverence and gravity settled over the scene.
A sudden hush. In the sunlit garden, the only sound was the soft crunch of footsteps on grass.
Perhaps stirred by some rising emotion, I found myself instinctively narrowing my eyes.
Suddenly, my vision wavered, and I raised my magical senses to their limit.
Though there was no real need, pushing all my senses to the edge made the surroundings feel even more vivid.
Mar stood straight and still, eyes closed in quiet composure.
Nimue’s trembling was now unmistakable as she steadily advanced.
It was nothing extraordinary.
This wasn’t a life-or-death battle, nor a moment of someone’s passing.
All she had to do was put on the thorned coffin.
Yet, a heavy tension quietly seeped through the air.
Im Hanna turned her head, unable to watch any longer.
Jin Suhyun bit her lip, eyes wide open.
An Sol clasped her hands in prayer.
Everyone gathered here thought of Mar in their own way.
Then, suddenly, our eyes met.
Mar gave a faint smile, as if to say, “Don’t worry.”
That smile stirred a strange sense of déjà vu.
A feeling that had washed over me the very first time I saw Mar now swept through my entire body.
And then—
Softly, a breeze stirred.
At the same moment, Nimue halted her steps, leaving a small distance.
She slowly raised both arms toward the sky,
and then, just like that, released her grip.
“……!”
A silent gasp escaped.
It was definitely a gentle breeze.
A mere whisper of wind, barely brushing through the hair.
Yes, that’s right.
“No way…”
Instead of falling, the thorned coffin caught the breeze and floated gently away.
I blinked several times, but it was undeniably drifting gracefully toward Mar.
On a clear, quiet morning,
the wish of the fairy, nurtured for eight hundred years, was about to be fulfilled right here.
Suddenly, the thorned coffin spun slowly in the air, then came to a halt.
Directly beneath it stood Mar.
Then, as if dancing, it twirled two or three more times before beginning its descent.
Slowly, very slowly…
And after a moment—
In a stretch of time where a second felt like ten,
the thorned coffin,
as light as a feather,
landed softly.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Looking back at my April posting schedule, I realize I wasn’t very diligent.
I’ll do my best to be more consistent in May. :)